Every online merchant requires shopping cart software in order to process orders that are made for products and services listed on their websites. The software compresses an ordering system that allows buyer to select items, place them in the cart and pay for them through various payment processors. It is essential that you know what to look for when you are choosing the software that will suit your needs as an online merchant.
Ease of installation.
Depending on your knowledge of web coding languages eg PHP, you may need software that is web based and guides you through the installation process. Ensure that the user interface is easy to use.
Management and customization
If you are inexperienced in customizing your cart to fit the needs of your website, you may need to research into the web based versions that are available to ensure that you get one that will not cause you any stress. If you are familiar with HTML or PHP coding languages, then you can choose one that you can easily configure to ensure that the functionality of your website is optimized.
Technical support
Any problem with you software could lead you to lose sales from your customers and they end up shopping at a competitive website. Ensure that the manufacturer of the cart you choose offers 24/7 technical support services so that you can contact them whenever you have problems with installing or running the software.
Search Engine Optimization
Today's virtual carts are becoming more sophisticated, allowing you to add META data to enable search engine spiders to identify your ecommerce store. Ensure that you get software that is compatible with search engine optimization techniques to increase traffic to your store.
User friendly check out
Internet users are picky about convenience. If you have a cart that makes the user go through several pages before they can check out, you may find some customers abandoning the purchase half way. Ensure that the software you pick complements the process fast without going through several pages.
Flexibility
Ensure that you software is easily upgradable. You do not have to uninstall older versions and re-install newer versions when you want to upgrade your store.